Open mike 05/12/2019

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, December 5th, 2019 - 63 comments
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63 comments on “Open mike 05/12/2019 ”

  1. Cooper oil 1

    Hope Paula Bennett holds up a lethal dose of "weed" in the house today. If she won't you do it Prime Minister.

    • That would be pretty funny – unfortunately it wouldn't fit through the doors. Suffice to say the only risk of death from a lethal dose would be through it falling on you and crushing or suffocating you.

      Bennett's been a poster-child for dishonesty and lack of integrity for a decade now, so her oregano-waving is par for her unsavoury course. It's depressing that she so consistently gets away with it.

      • Incognito 1.1.1

        She’s tarnished the image of green growers by using a plastic bag. She could have used an edible cup, for example.

        https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/117927572/air-new-zealand-trials-edible-vanillaflavoured-coffee-cups-to-reduce-waste

      • Cooper oil 1.1.2

        What is the scene like in Wellington?

        Could anyone score that much Oregano before question time?

      • Barfly 1.1.3

        I m an alcoholic I have struggled with it for decades I consume 90 – 200 grams of alcohol a day (yeah food is a much lower priority). When I have cannabis to smoke I lose interest in drinking – if it is legalised with the home growing allowed …I will smoke about 1 gram a day instead of ingesting 90 – 200 grams a day of alcohol. I see the merchants of hate doing their utmost to try to prevent this – images of Bridges and Bennett induce revulsion, depression and fear in me. /rant ends

        • cleangreen 1.1.3.1

          With you there Barfly 100%

          Best treatment is "preventive medicine"

        • Molly 1.1.3.2

          " I see the merchants of hate doing their utmost to try to prevent this – images of Bridges and Bennett induce revulsion, depression and fear in me. "

          They do such damage with their politicking and lies, and I hope in this case it is seen by all NZers as the hot air of rancid balloons that it is. I would prefer a government who looks at the harm done by current laws to change them without need for referendum. Let's hope that is the case within the next couple of years, it will benefit many – as well as yourself.

          • weka 1.1.3.2.1

            with any luck they're run a paper bag over the head style campaign like the rich people did with MMP and get a backlash over their stpuidity.

        • bwaghorn 1.1.3.3

          Does big alcohol donate to the nats?

  2. cleangreen 3

    Buster 12 my question to you is if this is true here;

    “The Latest on the US Democratic Party “Impeachment into Trump inquiry” results so far is – “Nothing to see here” according to the Democratic impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.”

    Democratic Party you are a wasting lots of valuable of time here,

    Question is ; US democratic Party- Why don’t you get on to fix our planet will you.!!!!!!!!!!!!

    What is a fitting quote here is; “US Democratic Party is siting doing nothing while Rome burns”

    https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-gop-report-says-no-evidence-for-trump-impeachment-warns-of-dangerous-precedent

    Quote;
    “The fact that Republicans may be derelict in their duty does not relieve us of our obligation to uphold and defend the Constitution,” Schiff tweeted last week.

    Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., also ripped Trump for not fully cooperating with Congress.

    “If the President thinks the call was ‘perfect’ and there is nothing to hide then he would turn over the thousands of pages of documents requested by Congress, allow witnesses to testify instead of blocking testimony with baseless privilege claims, and provide any exculpatory information that refutes the overwhelming evidence of his abuse of power,” he said in a statement.

  3. cleangreen 4

    Well you are here now calling for a 'sacking' of one of our MPs in NZ, we see as based on slim pickings, similar to the same thing happening in Washington now.

    So its about your slim narrative you involve in as Democratic party are in Washington.

    Are you a member of some 'anti-NZ First political hit'?

    • McFlock 4.1

      Now we all know what happened to Paula's "oregano" and the "baking powder" she'd bagged up for today…

  4. mosa 5

    "We need a President who isn’t a laughing stock to the entire World,” Donald Trump tweeted in 2014. “We need a truly great leader, a genius at strategy and winning. Respect!”

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/12/04/world-is-laughing-donald-trump/

    Trump's mental health questioned.

    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-mental-state-impeachment-psychiatrist-petition-congress-a9232386.html

    • greywarshark 5.1

      The health of USA political system questioned too!

    • Siobhan 5.2

      Interesting how the world 'unites' at the 'hilarity' of Trump..what we really need is a world where any and all leaders who don't advocate for a basic level of equality for all their citizens, and who don't bring around actual real change to prepare for the climate disaster currently brewing..that those leaders are treated as the odd one out..the 'joke' if you will..especially those in comparatively wealthy, educated and proggresive Nations.

      Watching Princess Anne* being entertained by the likes of Macron, Trudeau, Boris Johnson and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte with their hilarious observations of Trump I couldn't help but wonder who would be the first to crack a joke about that naughty pedo brother of hers and his sex trafficker friends..oh, yeah, and ol' Bill Clinton..

      * at the Buckingham Palace drinks reception for NATO leaders last night

      • Molly 5.2.1

        There is a large number of people who find Trump particularly amusing or entertaining. I suspect it is because they are not those who are impacted by his government and policies. Those who are – quite rightly – will be understandably terrified of this man and the harm he and his government have inflicted. And no-one really knows what his next transgression will be. It is almost like the hyper-vigilance children often have when a parent is both violent and unpredictable.

        "..what we really need is a world where any and all leaders who don't advocate for a basic level of equality for all their citizens, and who don't bring around actual real change to prepare for the climate disaster currently brewing.. ..that those leaders are treated as the odd one out.. " I'll join you in hoping for the next iteration of leaders. They'll be needed.

  5. greywarshark 6

    Live animal exports – let's stop. They don't get a luxury cruise, they didn't want to go anywhere away from their home paddock, and they suffer discomfort all the way at least, which will increase as world weather patterns become more extreme, and many may die in distress. Stop this, can we hold onto values of care and not behave like boorish and brutal …. (think your own description).
    https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2019/12/05/review-of-controversial-live-export-trade-open-for-public-submissions-safe/

    When do submissions close? This on google:

    Review of livestock exports from New Zealand | MPI | NZ …

    https://www.mpi.govt.nz › news-and-resources › consultations › review-of-li…

    Nov 22, 2019 – Review of livestock exports. Closing Date: 22 Jan 2020. Contact: Animal welfare policy. Email: livestock.consult@mpi.govt.nz

  6. greywarshark 7

    This is an interesting searching piece about Wellington planners other-planet plans. 2/12/2019

    http://wellington.scoop.co.nz/?p=124202

  7. greywarshark 8

    Some interesting figures that savenz found on PPP in the UK – these apply to roading: https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2019/12/04/the-daily-blog-open-mic-wednesday-4th-december-2019/#comment-483347

    roading This report: https://image.guim.co.uk/sys-files/Society/documents/2004/11/24/PFI.pdf

    found that PPP “contracts are considerably more expensive than the cost of conventional procurement”, resulting in higher returns for the companies running the PPP’s compared to their industry peers.

    While hard to compare because of the opaque nature of many contracts and large amounts of subcontracting out, it looked like the actual cost of capital of the PPP’s was 11% compared to Treasure borrowing of 4.5% i.e. 6.5% higher. This is supposed to represent the cost of risk transfer but in practice there was no risk transfer so it’s money for nothing.

  8. Robert Guyton 9

    The Greenpeace "OMV" protests have been very stylish events. The latest, where a "Museum to oil" was set up, shows how well presented these protests have become; no hand-scribbled placards here; everything that gets seen by the public is, well, classy, these days.

  9. Formerly Ross 10

    Bill

    I am surprised Israel Folau didn’t get a mention. Christmas certainly came early for the $8 million dollar man. Free speech, not rugby, was the winner.

    [TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]

    • SPC 10.1

      The ARU decision to issue Folau a new 4 year contract after the first social media contention would itself rank as one of the bigger blunders made by any sports body executives.

      And that was before the sacking, the impasse since and the cost of the settlement – so it now ranks as one of the all-time great blunders. Her own contract is unlikely to be renewed.&nbsp

      By the way the CEO says that the $8M is untrue and it is less (journalists will speculate to get clarification of the area of the amount).

      If the cost to the ARU settlement is greater than

      1.future legal costs BAD
      2. the unpaid part of the 4 year contract (3 years – 3.6M) VERY BAD.
      3. closer to 8 than 4, DISASTROUS.

  10. SPC 11

    Jamie Stern-Weiner argues that the (UK based) The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) is shifting the goal posts to portray that antisemitism is higher on the left (polling done via You Gov), and not the right (based around questions about Israel).

    https://jamiesternweiner.wordpress.com/2019/12/03/fake-campaign-against-antisemitism/

    Jamie Stern-Weiner is a PhD candidate at the University of Oxford and the editor of Antisemitism and the Labour Party (Verso, 2019).

    • (based around questions about Israel)

      Framing the questions to give you the answers that suit your agenda is a long-standing problem in the social sciences.

  11. greywarshark 12

    People are turning to the gypsy life, not choosing to form a settled community that they help build and support?

    (https://play.stuff.co.nz/details/_6106975299001

    • Siobhan 12.1

      That looks like some fun.and good on Joel for building up a career as an inspirational speaker…but they really should have a disclaimer...

      "World Nomads, the global travel brand and insurance provider.".

      Advertising has become very under the radar these days.

  12. McFlock 13

    So the ODT has changed how it selects cartoons – now throws it to the news team rather than just leaving it to the editor.

    I guess "we got it wrong" should read "I got it wrong".

    • weka 13.1

      I had the impression from Stewart that he didn't make the decision eg when asked directly he said something like it was his responsibility. The kind of answer you'd give as a boss for someone under you who had fucked up who you weren't going to throw under the bus. I could be wrong and he might have just been trying to soften the blows towards himself.

      That's a good apology now. Respect.

      • McFlock 13.1.1

        It's a fine apology, I'll give it that.

        It also includes the lines (my italics):

        We have immediately changed the way our cartoon is selected. Traditionally, this was kept entirely separate from the news team and was the preserve of the editor. Our daily cartoons will now be considered and debated by our broader editorial team.

        So the author of the apology was the only person at the ODT who selected what cartoon to publish.

        That's the perils of contracting out, I guess. I watched a doco a few years ago on a veteran US newspaper cartoonist – apparently each day he'd scratch up a dozen and then show them around the newsroom to see which one people saluted the most. I guess if one guy is writing from a lifestyle block near Queenstown and it's only being reviewed by an editor of 'a similar demographic', outright crass disregard for the lives of people of colour might slip under the radar.

        • weka 13.1.1.1

          If the Editor was off sick or had a personal emergency, who was making decisions? I assume 'editor' there means a single position, not a single person.

          It might have been Stewart, who possibly wasn't paying attention and later realised just how bad a mistake it was. That could be a similar demographic issue as well or someone overworked/stressed.

          I'm thinking his willingness to front up suggests this wasn't a case of pushing the controversy envelope for the sake of it and now backtracking in the face of public criticism (i.e. he seems to genuinely agree it was a terrible decision).

          I guess I'm just pleased to see someone who seems genuine and made an actual apology instead of a faux, get me out of hot water one.

          • weka 13.1.1.1.1

            of course, I have no idea, am just going off the bits I've read. I don't have a sense of him as a person.

          • McFlock 13.1.1.1.2

            True that.

            But this isn't the first time Tremain has done some pretty shite cartoons. I don't get the impression he tries to be edgy for clicks, so much as that he's a privileged dick who doesn't bother to check if he's punching down.

            • weka 13.1.1.1.2.1

              Totally agree with that. Tremain is just an arsehole who doesn't give a shit (or worse, thinks he's not doing anything wrong). The impression I have is that it's the *papers that publish his cartoons because of the edge. In this case they seriously misjudged how bad the cartoon was and I guess that's in part because they're acclimatised to his routine racism, having published it for so long. I hope this is part of their review.

              • McFlock

                I get the impression that the ODT runs Garrick Tremain for the same reason the Fortune Theatre loved to run Roger Hall plays: it's what seemed to get the local audience amongst the provincial well-to-dos who still want to pay for subscriptions to the actual paper. And I think Tremain gets points for having been around for so long and being "local".

                To be fair, Tremain has the cartoon art schtick down pat. Some of his political party stuff is good. It's just that his best caricature is of "cartoonist for the moneyed colonialist patriarchy". And the ODT has always been the voice of the establishment, as far back as I can recall. To the degree that an NLP comrade of mine reckoned he knew for sure that Lab4 had turned tory when the ODT editorial started singing its praises.

                • weka

                  Lol that last bit.

                  Ok, so Tremain might be valued for his overall body of work rather than the pushing the edge ones?

                  I was wondering yesterday who still reads a physical paper. I only read one when I'm in a cafe. I see people on twitter saying they bought a copy of the Herald to read something that was paywalled, which is interesting.

                  Also interesting was Stuff republishing the measles cartoon in their coverage of the response from the public and the ODT despite also writing a clear description of the cartoon content.

                  • McFlock

                    Tremain has been going for thirty years. The ODT much longer.

                    I'm not sure either have really moved on in the last few decades.

                    I can't shake the feeling that neither of them were being edgy. It's possible that the editor didn't really review the cartoon itself, but it's equally possible neither the editor nor the cartoonist saw anything wrong with it. Because that's how NZ was as a matter of routine. We're still "racist as fuck", but at least sometimes the people who refuse to change get called out on it now.

                    The best I can think of is that the literal dozens of deaths were fighting for attention in their minds against the perception of measles as a fairly harmless disease… just "spots". If 50 kids had died in a bus accident in Samoa, I doubt there would have been a cartoon about someone failing their local car WoF inspection.

      • pat 13.1.2

        suspect it wasnt reviewed by anyone….and was tone deaf…Tremain defended it even after pointed out.

        • weka 13.1.2.1

          he submitted it and it was published without any oversight?

          • Formerly Ross 13.1.2.1.1

            If a cartoonist can't offend, then free speech is worthless. That's something we can take from the Israel Folau saga, which saw Rugby Australia capitulate. RA inexplicably thought rugby, and its sponsors, were more important than free speech. Numpties.

            Besides, what the cartoonist did in this instance can be seen and heard on just about any episode of 7 Days.

            • pat 13.1.2.1.1.1

              normally would agree cartoonists are to challenge but some things really need self censorship/compassion

            • weka 13.1.2.1.1.2

              do you believe there should be no limits on free speech? eg a cartoon graphically depicting the rape of a child would be ok?

              What about a cartoon inciting racial violence?

              • Formerly Ross

                do you believe there should be no limits on free speech? eg a cartoon graphically depicting the rape of a child would be ok?

                What about a cartoon inciting racial violence?

                Tremain's cartoon does neither, so it might be useful to talk about reality rather than take a detour into fantasy. Certainly free speech has its limits. But some people take offence at the drop of a hat. You are free to take offence or not.Taking offence isn't compulsory. I'm not offended by Tremain's cartoon. I'm also not offended by 7 Days, whose attempt at humour can be more extreme than anything done by Tremain.

                There was outrage among some people at the cartoon of Serena Williams following her meltdown at the US open in 2018. Actually, it was an accurate portrayal of Williams’ petulant behaviour.

                https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/feb/25/serena-williams-cartoon-not-racist-australian-media-watchdog-rules

                • weka

                  ok, so you're not arguing that cartoonists should be free to offend at will, you're saying there should be a limit but in this case the limit is wrong. What makes you think you should get to say where the limit is rather than others?

                  • Formerly Ross

                    Limits are prescribed in law. You might recall MP Louisa Wall going to the High Court because she didn't like an Al Nisbet cartoon. She lost, of course, because the Nisbet cartoon wasn't inciting violence. In fact, it didn't come close to inciting violence. Again, if you choose to be offended, that's your choice. But you can just as easily choose not to be offended.

                    Justice Muir said during the hearing that freedom of speech could be considered to be “the most important cornerstone of a liberal democracy”.

                    “Without it you have no rule of law, you have nothing else,” he said.

                    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11992927

                    • weka

                      a cartoon depicting the rape of child wouldn't necessarily be illegal. So where is the limit? Saying you want to talk about reality doesn't help, I suspect that's you simply sidestepping the fact that you have a limit and aren't being honest about it. But maybe I'm wrong, maybe you are ok with such a cartoon. Either way, you're still saying that you should get to decide where the limit is, whereas at the moment society generally accepts the limit is reached before legality.

                      Freedom of speech is at core a principle that governments shouldn't prevent citizens from expressing opinions. There's no government involvement here. Tremain is still free to post his cartoon on his website. He hasn't been sacked, so there is no institutional suppression of his voice there either.

                      What we have is a large number of people saying that it's inflammatory to use political power to make jokes about a contagious disease that is killing children while children are still dying, in a country that is in a state of emergency and that has strong family and cultural ties to NZ. Of course people are going to take that personally, there will be NZ citizens who have people close to them who have died. Grief isn't something that one just chooses out of.

                      Had someone made that joke on TS, they'd have been moderated because otherwise a flame war would have started and that interferes with the purpose of the site. People aren't inherently protected from being offended, but likewise people in positions of power can't just do what they want without consequence. This is the continual adjustment that society makes all the time, in large part influenced by the collective will.

                      Protecting society from the equivalent of flame wars is important. Protecting freedom of speech is also important but I think there needs to be a better argument than 'I can say what I want and bugger anyone who is offended'.

                    • Formerly Ross []

                      Weka

                      Nowhere am I saying I get to decide. I said the law gets to decide, usually in exceptional cases or where someone has a bee in their bonnet. The Tremain cartoon isn’t exceptional.

                      As for your claim that there needs to be a better argument to justify free speech, actually there doesn’t. What there ought to be is a very good argument to restrict or deny free speech. You haven’t made out such an argument.

          • pat 13.1.2.1.2

            suspect so…hes been around for a long time, doubt editor looked at it

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    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    5 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • There’s a name for this
    Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Echoes of 1968 in 2024?  Pocock on the repetitive problems of the New Left
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Two bar blues
    The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 13
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • AT Need To Lift Their Game
    Normally when we talk about accessing public transport it’s about improving how easy it is to get to, such as how easy is it to cross roads in a station/stop’s walking catchment, is it possible to cycle to safely, do bus connections work, or even if are there new routes/connections ...
    6 days ago
  • Christopher's Whopper.
    Politicians are not renowned for telling the truth. Some tell us things that are verifiably not true. They offer statements that omit critical pieces of information. Gloss over risks, preferring to offer the best case scenario.Some not truths are quite small, others amusing in their transparency. There are those repeated ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Funding hole for tax cuts growing by the day
    The pressure is mounting on the Government as it finalises its Budget Policy Statement, but yet more predicted revenue ‘goes missing’. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Climate Commission has delivered another funding blow to the National-ACT-NZ First coalition Government’s tax-cutting plans, potentially carving $1.4 billion off the ‘climate ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
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  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
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